Hardware Abstraction Layer

HAL provides an abstract view on hardware. This abstraction layer is simply an interface that makes it possible to add support for new devices and new ways of connecting devices to the computer, without modifying every application that uses the device.

It maintains a list of devices that currently exist, and can provide information about those upon request.
It provides an infrastructure to configure [any] device. (It's now used by Xorg too).

read HAL specification's Inroduction for more information.

In Debian

HAL (hal, hal-info) is only installed Debian Desktop/Laptops by default. (It is not a Priority=standard package).

lshal(1) - list HAL devices.
hal-find-by-property(1) - find device objects by property matching.
hal-find-by-capability(1) - find device objects by capability matching.

And others. There is also, gnome-device-manager which is a Gnome tool to view the device on the local machine :

hal

Hardware Abstraction Layer

In Debian

See Also